Boko Haram: Coalition sends message to NASS over international NGOs ‘leaking military details to insurgents’

A coalition of civil society organizations, under the aegis of Save Humanity Advocacy Centre and the Centre for International and Strategy Studies, has asked the National Assembly to thoroughly investigate the activities of some international Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, operating in the North-Eastern part of the country.

They made the call in response to a revelation by a human rights group that some of the NGOs were passing classified information to members of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The coalition made the appeal in a letter entitled: “The despicable actions by international NGOS and their local franchise in support of Boko Haram and the need for urgent legislation to ban their activities” and jointly signed by Ibrahim Abubakar of the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre and Ifure Ataifure of the Centre for International and Strategy Studies.

According to the bodies, the leadership of the 9th Assembly should enact laws that would curtail the excesses of the international NGOs operating in North-East Nigeria.

The letter reads: “We bring warm greetings to the leadership of the National Assembly in Nigeria and also to commend the Distinguished Senate President on the sound leadership it has provided since the commencement of the 9th Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Dear Senate President, as you may be aware, Nigerian has been grappling with the activities of terrorist groups in North-East Nigeria, which has resulted in the wanton loss of lives and destruction of properties.

“This undeniable fact is such that all well-meaning Nigerians must see to the end of terrorist activities in Nigeria if we are desirable of achieving peace and tranquillity in the country through our actions and inactions.

“The Boko Haram conflict in North-East Nigeria has festered for the past ten years since the group took up a violent campaign against the constituted authorities in Nigeria and consequently led to the loss of lives and properties and a disruption of the development of the economy of North-East Nigeria.

“Dear Senate President, it is a known fact that the Nigerian Military has been at the forefront in the fight against terrorism in North-East Nigeria, and all and sundry have commended this much in the country.

“Dear Senate President, it must be stated in unequivocal terms that the activities of the Boko Haram terrorist group in North-East Nigeria are buoyed by the fact that some individuals and organizations masquerading under various nomenclatures have been covertly giving tactic support to the Boko Haram terrorist group.

“These individuals and organizations have perfected the act in such a way that despite the efforts of the Nigerian Authorities in the fight against terrorism, the Boko Haram terrorist group have continued to enjoy financial, logistics as well as intelligence support from these groups.

“Dear Senate President, it must be stated that since the advent of the present administration in Nigeria in 2015, lots of efforts have been put into ending the Boko Haram crisis in North-East Nigeria by the display of a strong political will as well as a significant improvement of the operational capacity and efficiency of the Armed Forces in the country.

“The Senate President may at this point wish to note that the activities of some Non-Governmental Organisations operating in North-East Nigeria have been suspect in recent times.

“It has also been proven beyond reasonable doubt that these NGOs have been covertly giving tactic support to the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group and this has led to the resurgence of the group operating on the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin region. They have been providing financial and logistics support in the area of food and drug supplies.

“Dear Senate President, as despicable as this might sound, the activities of some international NGOs in North-East Nigeria are causing more harm than good, and as such, there is a need for urgent and proactive steps to be taken towards arresting this anomaly.

“Their fraudulent activities have continued to fuel the crisis in the northeast region and thereby frustrating the efforts of the Nigerian Military in its quest to clearing the remnants of the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group.

“Dear Senate President, it must be stated that if urgent measures are not taken to address the nefarious activities of the international NGOs operating in North-East Nigeria, Nigeria might continue to grapple with the nefarious activities of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist group.

“It is, therefore, our considered opinion that the National Assembly must not be seen as shying away from its responsibility of contributing to sustainable peace in Nigeria through the instrument of effective legislations that would restrict the activities of these NGOs that have been aiding and abetting Boko Haram/ISWAP activities in North-East Nigeria.

“Dear Senate President, the urgency of now requires that the National Assembly under your dynamic leadership begins the process of initiating legislation that would curtail the nefarious activities of these international NGOs that do not mean well for the unity of the country. The National Assembly must act now in the interest of peace in Nigeria and in fulfilment of its constitutionally recognised mandate in the entrenchment of peace and unity in Nigeria.

“Dear Senate President, we are consequently by this letter urging you to use your good office to see to the enactment of laws that would curtail the excesses of the international NGOs operating in North-East Nigeria.

“Dear Senate President, if the activities of these NGOs are not curtailed in good time, the Boko Haram/ISWAP activities would continue to fester at the detriment of peace and tranquillity in Nigeria.

“The urgency of now requires all hands to be on deck, and as such, it behoves on the leadership of the National Assembly under your leadership rise to this occasion in this critical point of our existence.”